Snubbed railway truck bolster

ABSTRACT

In a railway car truck, friction shoes are carried in pockets at opposite ends of the bolster. The invention provides for easy insertion of the shoes into the pockets, and retention therein by retaining lugs on the bolster which are received and retained in cooperating indentations of the friction shoes so that assembly may be easily accomplished. The shoes are prevented from dropping in the event their control springs become damaged or broken.

United States Patent [191 Mulcahy I Dec. 24, 1974 SNUBBED RAILWAY TRUCKBOLSTER [75] Inventor: Harry W. Mulcahy, Lansing, 111.

[73] Assignee: AMSTED Industries Incorporated,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 401,833

[52] US. Cl. 105/197 DB, 105/207 [51] Int. Cl. B6lf 5/12, B6lf 5/24,B6lf 5/50 [58] Field of Search 105/197 D, 197 DB, 207

[56] References Cited 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,142,426 1/1939 Webb105/197 DB 2,176,909 10/1939 Lazna 105/197 D 2,257,109 9/1941Davidson... 105/197 DB 2,485,104 10/1949 Maatman 105/197 DB 2,550,9105/1951 Christenson 105/197 DB 2,827,987 3/1958 Williams 105/197 DB3,254,612 6/1966 Shafer 105/197 D 3,261,305 7/1966 Shafer 105/197 D3,450,063 6/1969 Shafer 105/197 D 3,802,353 4/1974 Korpics 105/197 DBPrimary ExaminerM. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran[57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SNUBBEI) RAILWAY TRUCK BOLSTERThis invention relates generally to railway car trucks and moreparticularly to trucks provided with friction snubbing means forcontrolling vertical movement of a truck bolster relative to itsassociated side frame. This application represents an improvement overcopending Korpics application Ser. No. 265,396, filed June 22, 1972 nowUS. Pat. No. 3,802,353 issued Apr. 9, i974.

Briefly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a railwaycar truck comprising spaced side frames supported upon wheel and axleassemblies. The side frames are interconnected by a bolster which isresiliently supported at its ends on spring groups seated within theside frames. To dampen vertical movement of the bolster, friction shoesare mounted in pockets and biased into frictional engagement withsurfaces on the bolster and on the side frames.

An object of the present invention is to provide a snubbed truck bolsterand friction shoe sub-assembly wherein the friction shoes may beretained in the pockets prior to insertion of their control springs, andthereafter in the event of damage to or breakage of the control springs.Retention within the pockets does not affect normal snubbing operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a snubbed truck includinga bolster having snubbing pockets with retaining lugs therein forcooperation with lug engaging portions of associated friction shoes toretain the shoes in the pockets.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a snubbed truckincluding a bolster-friction shoe arrangement wherein friction shoes maybe retained in pockets on suitable retaining means. Control springs liftthe friction shoes off of the retaining means and into workingrelationship with the bolster and associated sideframe.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a snubbed railwaycar truck including side frames, a bolster resiliently supported by theside frames for movement relative thereto, and friction shoes which maybe assembled into snubbing position.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon closer examination of the specificationherein, including the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing details of the bolsterand its friction shoe including the retaining lugs in the bolster pocketand the associated retaining structure on the friction shoe;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view showing the bolster in anassociated side frame and the friction shoe just prior to insertion intothe pocket;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing thefriction shoe retained in the pocket; and

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing thecontrol spring in place for biasing the friction shoe off of theretaining lugs and into its normal operating position as the bolster andshoe are lowered to support the shoe on top of the spring.

Turning now in more detail to the drawings, each side frame 10, only oneof which is shown, includes bearing or column surfaces 12 to which maybe secured a wear plate 14 for a purpose to be disclosed. Only onecolumn surface 12 is shown.

Side frame defines a window 16 in which a bolster 18 is suitably carriedon spring groups, not shown.

Bolster 18 defines at each end thereof a pair of shoe receiving pockets20, one on each side thereof. Pockets 20 are so oriented within window16 of side frame 10 when in assembled condition as to be opposite wearplates 14. Pockets 20 are defined by bolster 18 adjacent bearingsurfaces 12 and open toward wear plates 14.

Extending into the pocket from side surfaces 24 are a pair of retaininglugs 26. Retaining lugs 26 extend in the generally horizontal directionfrom side surfaces 24 toward each other at approximately the bottom ofbolster 18. Also extending horizontally from side surfaces 24 are a pairof retaining lugs 28. Lugs 28 are spaced from and above lugs 26 andextend toward each other and inwardly toward surface 22.From theinterior end of each lug 28 an upward extension is defined to form thehooked portion thereof. It should be understood that each side surface24 is provided with a retaining lug 26 and a hooked retaining lug 28.Opposite pairs of lugs are in alignment for the purpose to be definedherein.

For insertion into each pocket 20 a friction shoe 30 is provided.Friction shoe 30 defines a vertical wear surface 32 for frictionalengagement with wear plate 14 and an inclined wear surface 34 forfrictional engagement with inclined surface 22. Each friction shoe 30further defines side portions 36 such that friction shoe 30 may beinserted within pocket 20 between side surfaces 24 thereof. Each sideportion 36 defines a pair of indentations 38 therein. Indentations 38are constructed and arranged to be in alignment with retaining lugs 26as the friction shoe 30 is inserted into pocket 20 (FIG. 2). However,they are constructed and arranged to be offset from lugs 26 when thefriction shoe 30 is within pocket 20 (FIG. 3). Lugs 26 providestabilization of friction shoe 30 when lugs 28 and 40 are cooperativelyengaged, thereby preventing rotational motions about the engagementpoints of lugs 28 and 40 with potential frictional contact between wearplate 14 and the lower extremity of surface 32.,Such contact couldconceivably lead to an undesired dislodgement of friction shoe 30.

Similarly, each friction shoe 30 defines a retaining lug or hook 40 oneach side portion 36 thereof. Each retaining hook 40 is constructed andarranged so that insertion of friction shoe 30 into pocket 20 may befreely accomplished. Retaining books 40 are cooperable with lugs 28 soas to retain friction shoe.30 in pocket 20 when lugs 26 are offset fromindentations 38.

Control springs 42, one of which is shown in the drawings, support eachfriction shoe 30 free of retain ing lugs 26 and 28 so that normalsnubbing may be accomplished.

A primary advantage of this invention resides in the fact that frictionshoe 30 may be inserted into pocket 20 while bolster 18 is in place withpocket 20 adjacent wear plate 14 of column 12. In practice bolster 18 isheld in position by suitable jacks, not shown. Friction shoe 30 ismanually inserted upwardly and vertically as shown in FIG. 2 such thatindentations 38 in side portions 36 cooperate with retaining lugs 26 toallow upward passage of friction shoes 30 into pockets 20. Upwardmovement of friction shoe 30 moves the shoe into engagement withinclined surface 22 of bolster 18. Continued upward pressure causesfriction shoe 30 to move upwardly and leftwardly, as best shown in FIG.

3, into a position where retaining lugs 26 are offset from indentations38 and the bottom of side portions 36 are moved into position aboveretaining lugs 26 so as to be engageable therewith. At the same time,retaining hooks 40 are moved into position above retaining lugs 28 so asto be engageable therewith. When in this position, the friction shoe maybe released and will be retained in the pocket.

This feature of the invention allows easy assembly of the truck and inaddition provides a safety feature in that the friction shoe is retainedin the pocket in the event of failure of the control spring, therebyavoiding damage to the shoe and to associated components.

As shown in FIG. 4, a conventional control spring 42 is in position toengage friction shoe 30 and move it upwardly away from retaining lugs 26and 28 into its normal operating position. In this position wear surface32 is engageable with wearplate 14. The final step would be to releasethe jacks holding bolster 18, thereby allowing it to drop into positionso that inclined surface 38 is engageable with inclined surface 22. Itshould be understood that springs directly supporting the bolster 18 maybe provided but are not shown herein. Springs 42 also support thebolster.

Thus it will be seen that the inventive concept dispocket and beingoffset thereafter whereby said lug retains said friction shoe in saidpocket.

2. The invention according to claim I wherein said cooperative meansincludes a hooked retaining lug extending from said bolster into saidpocket and a retaining hook on said friction shoe, said lug and hookbeing engageable for retaining said friction shoe in said pocket.

3. In a railway truck bolster and friction shoe subassembly; thecombination of a bolster having a pocket with inboard and outboard sidewalls and a wedge wall closed herein allows for easy assembly ordisassembly of a conventional railway truck. It allows assembly by oneman and indeed can be done with one hand. It does not require the use ofcotter pins for retaining the friction shoes in the pockets. It does notrequire any auxiliary devices or tools for assembly. It may bedisassembled without danger of the shoe dropping on the hand of-theworkman involved. And finally it retains the friction shoe in the pocketin the event of spring breakage, eliminating the danger of jamming.

While the preferred form of the invention has been described and shownherein, it should be understood that variations thereof are contemplatedand that the scope of the invention should be limited only by theaccompanying claims.

I claim: 1. In a railway car truck including a side frame havingconnected therebetween and sloping downwardly and inwardly toward thebottom of the bolster to define a friction shoe pocket, an upwardlyfacing hook on one of said side walls, a friction shoe in said pockethaving a downwardly facing hook engaged with the firstmentioned hook,said friction shoe having a sloping wedge surface spaced from the wedgewall andengageable therewith when the shoe is urged upwardly by anassociated bolster-supporting spring to disengage said hooks from eachother, said hooks being reengageable in the event said spring breaks oris lost.

4. A sub-assembly according to claim 3 wherein the lower edge of oneside wall is provided with a lug projecting into said pocket, and thefriction shoe is provided with an indentation to receive said lug as thefriction shoe is elevated in said pocket while the shoe hook is offsetinwardly from the side wall hook, said lug being misaligned verticallywith respect to said indentation when the hooks are interengaged.

1. In a railway car truck including a side frame having a window, abolster having one end resiliently supported in said window, saidbolster having a pocket adjacent said side frame, and a friction shoereceivable in said pocket for snubbing engagement with said side frameand said bolster, the improvement wherein said bolster and said frictionshoe include cooperative means comprising a lug extending from saidbolster into said pocket and an indentation in said friction shoe forreceiving said lug, said lug and indentation being in alignment forinsertation of said friction shoe into said pocket and being offsetthereafter whereby said lug retains said friction shoe in said pocket.2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said cooperative meansincludes a hooked retaining lug extending from said bolster into saidpocket and a retaining hook on said friction shoe, said lug and hookbeing engageable for retaining said friction shoe in said pocket.
 3. Ina railway truck bolster and friction shoe sub-assembly; the combinationof a bolster having a pocket with inboard and outboard side walls and awedge wall connected therebetween and sloping downwardly and inwardlytoward the bottom of the bolster to define a friction shoe pocket, anupwardly facing hook on one of said side walls, a friction shoe in saidpocket having a downwardly facing hook engaged with the first-mentionedhook, said friction shoe having a sloping wedge surface spaced from thewedge wall and engageable therewith when the shoe is urged upwardly byan associated bolster-supporting spring to disengage said hooks fromeach other, said hooks being reengageable in the event said springbreaks or is lost.
 4. A sub-assembly according to claim 3 wherein thelower edge of one side wall is provided with a lug projecting into saidpocket, and the friction shoe is provided with an indentation to receivEsaid lug as the friction shoe is elevated in said pocket while the shoehook is offset inwardly from the side wall hook, said lug beingmisaligned vertically with respect to said indentation when the hooksare interengaged.